When will infinite 'clean energy' come free for free?

ByDFID - UK Department for International Development

Many of the electricity and energy used in modern society depend on fossil fuels, and there is no way to create abundant energy without discharging harmful substances such as CO2. "Solar power, hydraulic power, wind power, geothermal power, fuel cell, cogeneration, natural gas etc. obtained from"Clean energy(Renewable energy) "Covers the world's electricity demand seems to be a far-reaching event in the future, but it is said that" one expert can be obtained in the near future "Clean energy that can be used infinitely for free"Is explained.

The coming era of unlimited - and free - clean energy - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2014/09/19/the-coming-era-of-unlimited-and-free-clean-energy/


A consulting firm in the 1980sMcKinsey & CompanyPredicted that "the size of the mobile phone market in 2000 is about 900,000," and advised AT & T, an American telecommunication carrier, "I should withdraw from business." In fact, the number of mobile phones in 2000 was over 100 million units, and in the modern day, billions of terminals worldwide are being used.

Experts at the time were skeptical about the future of mobile phones, but similarly, many experts currently have skeptical opinions about solar energy, "even if it takes several decades solar energy We can not cover world electricity demand. " On the other hand, as an American businessmanFuture listofRay KurzweilHe speaks quite the opposite expectation.

According to Mr. Kurzweil, the supply of solar energy has increased at twice the pace every year over the past 30 years, and the production cost is down. According to Mr. Hayashi's guess, if the development of solar energy continues as it is, all of the world electricity demand can be covered with solar energy within the next 14 years, and by 2035 the amount of solar energy supplied will be the world electricity demand amount It is seen as exceeding. Moreover, even at the timing exceeding the world electricity demand amount, the amount of sunlight required for power generation is only 1 / 10,000th of the total sunlight falling on the earth.

In Germany, Spain, Portugal, Australia and the United States Southwest, residential-scale photovoltaic generation costs are already less than or equal to the average one-house electricity chargeGrid parityIt is said that it reached. In other words, the cost of installing solar panels can be recovered by considering purchasing electricity from conventional electric companies over the long term. In addition, the price of solar panels has been declining by 75% over the past five years, and it is thought that the price of solar panels will be much lower and costs will increase as technology advances. By 2020, fossil fuels subsidies are abolished in many parts of the world, and it is expected to cause price competition with solar energy.

ByGrand Canyon National Park

In this way, rate fluctuation of production cost occurs at a rapid pace not only in sunlight but also on the development of clean energy technologies such as wind, biomass, geothermal and tidal power all over the world, Power generation is beginning to cause cost and price competition for coal combustion plants. The Washington Post says, "There is no doubt that we are progressing to the age of energy that can be used for free and infinite."

BySocaltimes

If such a time comes, a devastating turmoil is expected to occur in the oil industry, so groups that lobby to stop solar energy progression have also appeared. Meanwhile Germany, China, Japan, etc. are leading the world one step at the adoption rate of clean energy. If the introduction of environmentally friendly clean energy progresses, electric cars will be able to operate cheaper than gasoline, so it is possible that boil water will eventually be boiled to obtain infinite water supply. If it becomes possible to grow plants by hydroponic cultivation using a large amount of water, it will become possible to obtain fresh vegetables in a skyscraper even without extensive agricultural land, such as "a real future like a lie" It may come to visit.